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LMU students represent every U.S. state and dozens of countries around the world. We enroll 9,295 students (6,162 undergraduates, 2,099 graduates and 1,034 law) with an average student-to-faculty ratio of 11 to 1. 85% of our undergraduate students and 88% of our graduate students received financial aid in 2015-16.

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LMU actively seeks to enhance faculty and student research opportunities: in Fall, 2015, our landmark Life Sciences Building opened and offers 35 new research and teaching laboratories in the most advanced building of its kind in the country.

LMU students have ample opportunities to engage in co-curricular programs with over 155 registered student organizations and 18 Inter/National Greek fraternities and sororities. LMU was ranked No. 7 nationwide for the having “Students Most Engaged in Community Service” according to the Princeton Review with our students volunteering nearly 200,000 hours last year at more than 350 community organizations.

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Our 142-acre blufftop main campus is ideally located in Los Angeles, the world’s creative capital and the nation’s cultural capital. Consistently named among the nation’s most beautiful and green campuses, LMU’s location overlooking the Pacific Ocean is five minutes away from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – and, the rest of the world.

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An LMU education prepares students to thrive as global citizens, successful professionals, and well-rounded men and women for others. We take pride in developing students into alumni who go on to become ethical business leaders, engaging artists, and respected scholars. As students discern their vocations, they discover the intersection between their skills, passions, and the needs of an increasingly global society.

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The Jesuit education we provide is nearly 500 years in the making. It was founded to create a better world for those here and those to come.

Founded in 1911, LMU is a top-ranked Catholic university rooted in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions. We are committed to fostering a diverse academic community rich in opportunities for intellectual engagement and real-world experience. We enroll an academically ambitious, multicultural, and socioeconomically diverse student body. We recruit, retain and support a diverse faculty committed to excellence in teaching, research, scholarship and creativity.

Spanish, B.A.

Objectives

This major equips students with language proficiency in Spanish as it introduces them to the multicultural nature and historical evolution of literary and cultural expressions in the target language. It provides students with opportunities to comprehend, interpret, and practice advanced linguistic skills in Spanish through oral and written exercises and assignments. Survey and seminar classes familiarize them with representative literary works and cultural texts from Spain, Latin America, the U.S., and other diasporic Spanish-speaking populations. Our students become familiar with theoretical terminology and concepts essential to analyze these and other cultural products. The major also includes the study of Spanish phonology, morphology, syntax, and dialectal varieties. Students consistently participate in intercultural events and service learning activities in academic and culturally significant contexts. They acquire an increasing commitment to the mission of the University.

Spanish Student Learning Outcomes

Spanish majors will know:

The variety and nature of linguistic practices of Spanish-speaking populations

The variety and nature of cultural texts of Spanish-speaking populations

The variety and nature of cultural perspectives of Spanish-speaking populations

Representative literary works and cultural texts from Spain, Latin America, the U.S., and other Spanish-speaking populations

Note:

SPAN 2101, SPAN 2102, and SPAN 2103/2113 may be satisfied by placing above that level through the LMU Spanish Placement Exam. A minimum grade of C (2.0) is required in all lower division Spanish courses.

Upper Division Requirements:

The major in Spanish requires 25 semester hours in upper division courses: 8 semester hours in SPAN 3510, SPAN 3410; 8 semester hours in SPAN 3541, SPAN 3521, or SPAN 3431; 8 semester hours in 4000-level Spanish electives; and SPAN 4990, a senior capstone project (1 semester hour). Students are permitted to take up to 33 upper division hours in Spanish. Students must complete all upper division courses with a minimum grade of C (2.0).

Senior Capstone Project: Portfolio Requirements:

Spanish majors are required to register for a one-credit course (SPAN 4990 Senior Capstone Project) during, or after, their last semester in the Spanish major program. Each graduating student constructs a portfolio that includes a collection of previous works, a brief description of extracurricular activities connected with the Spanish major, and a reflective essay in Spanish demonstrating how the goals of the program were met. These goals are language proficiency, cultural competency, mastery of literary and linguistic studies, development of a sense of social justice, and transcultural understanding. An oral presentation of the portfolio to a faculty panel is required.

Guidelines for the elaboration of the portfolio and the oral presentation are available in the Modern Languages and Literatures Department. This course is graded Credit/No Credit.

Secondary Teacher Preparation Program (STTP) for Spanish

Students interested in obtaining a Spanish secondary teaching credential for the State of California must fulfill the requirements for the Spanish major and take two additional Spanish courses: SPAN 4252 and SPAN 4474 or their equivalents. They will also have to take courses and do their teaching practice under the School of Education. To complete all requirements in four years, Spanish majors are encouraged to start this process early by contacting the Center for Undergraduate Teacher Preparation (CUTP) to learn about the School of Education requirements.

LMU Spanish Placement Exam

Any student who has knowledge of or has had prior instruction in Spanish in high school or at a college or university other than LMU must take the LMU Spanish Placement Exam.

This requirement includes students who have taken an AP Spanish Exam in high school. A student who receives a score of 5 or 4 on the AP Spanish Exam (Language and/or Literature) might place in SPAN 2103 Spanish 3 or SPAN 2113 Spanish 3 for Latino Students. Final placement is conditional upon the instructor’s consent. The student’s CAPP report will reflect credit for SPAN 2101 and SPAN 2102 after official scores have been received from the College Board. It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that the official AP scores have been sent to Loyola Marymount University.

To know when and how a student should take a language placement exam in Spanish, please refer to the guidelines provided under Modern Languages and Literatures.

Students that need more semester hours to complete the major/minor because of their language placement must take additional courses in the language. In the event that there are no courses in the language, students may take MDLG 3400, MDLG 4400, or FNLT 4200 (provided it is related to language concentration). If additional classes are not available in the Modern Languages and Literatures Department, students may fulfill those credits with courses in the appropriate cultural studies areas (e.g., EURO, HMNT) in consultation with the language advisor and the Department Chair.

Study Abroad

Students are strongly encouraged to take language courses abroad for a semester either during their sophomore year (Spring semester) or junior year (Fall or Spring semester). Prior to departure, students must obtain transfer credit approval for any courses that they plan to take. No more than two Spanish courses will transfer for the major. Consult the Study Abroad Office or the Spanish language professors for information about semester, year-long, or summer study abroad programs offered by other universities other than those that the Spanish program endorses.

Spanish Model Four-Year Plan

The normal course load is 16 semester hours per semester (4 classes). By following the model below, a student who places at the second semester level of Spanish (SPAN 2102) at the time of admission into our program will complete most major prerequisites and all lower division core requirements by the end of the sophomore year. Students with no previous knowledge of Spanish will be able to complete the program in four years if they are willing to take a Spanish course approved by our department, either abroad or at another institution during the summer. Note that core areas are suggested to provide a distribution of various disciplines every semester. Please be flexible implementing these suggestions, given your own interests and course availability. In four years, this plan meets all common graduation requirements.

Total: 14-16 semester hours

Spring Semester

Total: 14-17 semester hours

Spanish Model Four-Year Plan-For Students Starting at an Advanced Level of Proficiency

The normal course load is 16 semester hours per semester (4 classes). By following the model below, a student will complete all lower division core requirements by the end of the first semester freshman year as well as most major prerequisites. Note that core areas are suggested to provide a distribution of various disciplines every semester. Please be flexible implementing these suggestions, given your own interests and course availability. In four years, this plan meets all common graduation requirements.